Articles Tagged Microphones

The drum sound is the heart of any band mix: kick drum keeps the pulse going, while the snare drives the rhythm and the overall beat gives each song its groove. Dynamic microphones are used for close miking drums because they’re sturdy, handle high SPL, provide off-axis rejection and often have a presence boost around 4 kHz that emphasizes attack. At the same time, digital consoles have changed the live sound workflow. Their instant recall forces drum sound check to…
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Shanghai University of International Business and Economics recently added 111 Harman’s AKG Perception wireless microphone systems for its on-campus lecture halls. Known for its diligence in handling large-scale projects across a wide range of verticals, including education, commercial, hospitality and entertainment, integrator Gold Sound chose the presenter set of this system to deliver a sustainable solution on a tight budget. “We like AKG not just because of its worldwide popularity, but also for what they offer at a reasonable price,”…
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Noted jazz musician Dr. John now uses a stereo pair of DPA Microphones d:vote 4099P instrument mics on for his grand piano, both when performing with the Night Trippers, a six-piece band in his hometown of New Orleans, or taking the stage at a jazz festival in Europe with a complete brass ensemble. In addition to being situated within the closed-lid of the artist’s grand pianos, the horn section of his larger accompanying band also use the mics. “We only…
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Corporate events require a slightly different skill-set (and mind-set) than band and festival gigs. There’s a lot of waiting for people to make changes, hand-holding of clients who worry about everything, waiting for more changes, communicating changes to the crew (only to find out that things have changed again), calming clients who are now terrified the changes will ruin their show – and of course, some audio thrown in for good measure. Things to remember about corporate events: • There…
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TASCAM has unveiled the TRACKPACK 2x2, a bundled portable recording system that includes TASCAM’s US-2x2 USB audio interface, TM-80 condenser microphone, and TH-02 headphones, joined by Cakewalk SONAR X3 LE and Ableton Live Lite 9 DAW software. The US-2x2 is a 2-input/2-output USB interface, bus powered from a Mac or Windows computer. A pair of Ultra-HDDA mic preamps provide up to 57 dB of gain and professional caliber noise and distortion specs. The design includes high-performance, musical components like NE5532…
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Eclectic New Orleans funk band Galactic utilizes a variety of microphones from TELEFUNKEN Elektroakustik for stage and studio work. Blending funk and jazz with other genres, Galactic tours widely in support of their albums and often features such guest artists as Corey Glover, lead vocalist for Living Colour. Galactic front of house engineer Ryan Jones states, “Telekunken’s M80 dynamic is an extremely versatile transducer. It sounds great on anything I put in front of it, but I especially love using…
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The new U39 USB condenser recording microphone from CAD Audio is designed to handle a wide range of applications for both intermediate and professional users. The U39 is outfitted with a proprietary TrakMix headphone output for monitoring and control to help foster creative expression. The smooth, extended frequency response is effective for vocals and instruments, while a unidirectional mic pattern minimizes background noise and isolates the main sound source. Frequency response is stated as 40 Hz to 18 kHz, with…
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All microphones are not created equal. Cardioid, supercardioid, hypercardioid, condenser, ribbon - literally dozens of choices. (It’s enough to give you a cardioid cardiac!) In many situations, our budgets just won’t allow the top-of-the-line models in our mic cases. Meanwhile, the same questions present themselves for every show, large or small. What kind of mic(s) on the backline? What to do about the softly singing angel at lead vocal? What about the singer that can never ever stay on mic…
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The annual Governors Ball, held at the Ray Dolby Ballroom at the Hollywood & Highland Center after this year’s Academy Awards show in LA featured Grammy winner Sergio Mendes, who performed songs with special guest will.i.am using several DPA Microphones d:facto vocal microphones. Selected by Mendes production manager John Baker, wired and wireless versions of the d:facto mics were used for vocals by Mendes, will.i.am and the three female singers who performed centerstage for their roughly 45-minute set. Baker also…
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Cold Water Cowboys, a Discovery Channel extreme reality television series that focuses on Canadian trawler crews fishing off the coast of Newfoundland that’s wrapping up its second season, has been using using Lectrosonics Digital Hybrid Wireless equipment since the beginning. Mark Barry, lead sound consultant for the series, which is produced by Vancouver-based Paperny Entertainment, implemented a 5-channel Venue system for the current season, with plans to expand it for the future. “All the shows I do are generally fairly…
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